Daniel OWEN

Student of Australian National University, Australia
Exchange to The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Everyone that returns from exchange says the best part is the people you meet. A year in Hong Kong and I was no different. You met and made great friends on exchange.

It is fun observing different cultures - do you know that Hong Kong people have dim sum for breakfast? Or that the Swiss celebrate Christmas on the 24th? It is equally fun sharing Australian culture with people abroad - wait till you see their reaction when you make them try Vegemite or tell them a game of cricket lasts for 5 days.

Through the experiences and conversations with new friends encountered during exchange, I learned from them and grew as a person.

My new friends have different thoughts on aspects of life. They sometimes challenged your views on a variety of topics like social, environmental, global issues, Australia and personal life.

From my mates, I learned too many things, but perhaps the most insightful was this: Australia is the best country in the world for so many reasons, but at the same time it is not good at everything. We should be proud of our country, but we should also learn from other countries and complement with each other in some specific aspects.

I hope that the things I have learned will enable me to make a difference back in Australia. Whether this is just by talking to other people and making people appreciate other cultures, or by actually implementing change based on the things I have learned from exchange.

Exchange is fun, tiring, adventurous and all the other things you hear. But it is also one of the best ways to grow and learn as a person, and hopefully make a difference back home.

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